


What's In A Name?

by MelissaKeith



Series: What's in a Name? [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Blind Character, Character Art, Character Study, Gen, M/M, POV Third Person Limited, Trans Character, extra scenes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-07 11:07:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13433439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelissaKeith/pseuds/MelissaKeith
Summary: These scenes are not necessarily canon to the world shown in Of Cranes and Turtles: I wrote these pieces while brainstorming for the sequel, and liked them too much to let them go to waste. I am now including additional scenes and art of my original characters. Chapter 8 includes mature content.





	1. A Sixteen Year Old's Summary

{transcription begins}

Good evening... It's June fifth and this is Shimura Hisato, a sixteen year-old chunin. It isn't the first time I've used a tape diary; I've had three or four before. They're a fun concept that was introduced to me by Genhara-sensei, and they help me to sort my thoughts a little.

Now, obviously I have something I'd like to talk about, as I've started this again! Ah, but it isn't as enjoyable a topic as I'd like. I've been informed that, as one of Konoha's only blind shinobi, I'll soon be tested for tokubetsu jounin status and then be taking on a genin team including a blind child. Assuming they pass that is... Please don't pass...

I tried to ask Kakashi-senpai for advice, as he has been dodging teacher duty for many years. He's as useless as ever, though! He recommended I fail my test, but that's just not something I am willing to do. He's been a jounin forever, and Tenzou too.

Ah, but if only Koori could be made to do it... I'm too young to be a teacher. Even if she's a genin herself, isn't she better suited? Not only is Koori eighteen, but she's even familiar with that child already.

... Ugh, that's probably enough complaining. Whether or not I like it, this is for Konoha's benefit. They have not fully decided on the team, but it seems that I might get an Uchiha brat. If so, there will be a lot of eyes on me... Red ones, so I'll have to work hard.

I've got a couple weeks of regular duty left, thank goodness. There's no particular rule against sharing this information, so! Hisato is a relatively new name for me, and I'm fairly well-known as Anbu Crane even without the mask. I'll be sad to put it aside, but I'm not formally resigned and my usual squad is also suffering under strange orders. At least I've got it better than those two, right?

Anyway, I've had a lot of wise thoughts about my team's testing and training, and I think that it might be better if I can discuss them out loud with this tape...

Starting tomorrow. Good night!

{transcription ends}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is no longer how the sequel will begin; instead, Hisato will begin taping again for a better reason, at the age of eighteen.


	2. Have You Ever Considered Teaching?

"Sixteen year old Shimura Hisato, known as Anbu Crane."

The man nodded in confirmation, and the Third Hokage took a moment to examine him. Hisato certainly had a more subtle look than his average jounin. His hair was black, cropped close; his black eyes had a sincere look to them. He had no visible scars, wore his uniform according to standard regulations, and had begun to use foundation to cover the birthmarks on his neck and arm. His height was the only distinguishing feature that remained, one that caused him to appear older.

Under normal circumstances, Hiruzen would have given this news through a letter and invited him to the larger meeting later; however, he had little knowledge of the dot letters that the blind shinobi used. "You have been recommended to receive and train a genin team. If you choose to accept, you will be deactivated within Anbu until such a time that your students are reassigned or achieve chunin status."

Hisato had stood quietly, his eyebrow gradually rising. He seemed to take a moment to realize that the Third had finished speaking. "... You're joking, surely?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen was not. Team assignments were one of his favorite duties, even in his old age. The very foundations of his rule, teamwork and the Will of Fire, joining together... It was an extremely important duty which decided Konoha's future.

"Due to your recent promotion and your history with children, I feel that you will be a wonderful jounin sensei."

"I..." The man started, but hesitated. Hiruzen couldn't help a little smile. Though he felt that Hisato was on the right path to becoming a splendid adult, he was an awkward teenager yet.

"There's a particular student that I wish to entrust to you, if you're willing. If their anticipated teammates are unable to pass, I may still ask you to take them on as an apprentice."

Hisato nodded, before asking a question. "Hokage-sama... By when must I make a decision?"

"There will be a debriefing in three days' time. Kakashi has also been requested-" not asked, something Hisato seemed to note by his little smirk, "- so you may accompany him if you accept this mission."

Once outside of the office, the tension in Hisato's shoulders drained.

"It's the Inuzuka kid," Tenzou murmured in response to a question unasked, leaning off the wall. "the blind one."

"Koori's favorite, huh?"

He and Tenzou had made lunch plans for the day prior to receiving summons, and rather than abandon them, Tenzou had accompanied him to the Hokage tower. It had been a short briefing, as expected.

"He realizes I'm barely older than today's genin, right? Koori would be a thousand times better if he needs a blind person, she's nineteen and already familiar with the brat..."

Tenzou found himself oddly nostalgic as he listened to his friend's whining, not quite missing the days when the time of them were not so free to chatter as they crossed town. Eventually, he interrupted. "Is ramen alright?"

"Seriously? It's too hot out."

"For old time's sake?"

It was September, but the weather did not seem to know that; the air was humid enough for June, despite a lack of clouds.

Ramen Ichiraku had not changed much since the day that Tenzou had sat here and chatted with a pregnant woman. That had been one of his first tastes of freedom amidst life in ROOT. "Do you remember the first time we came here?"

"Better than you do, most likely."

Tenzou had expected that response, and was glad for it. "What was she going to name her child, again? That woman?"

Hisato's shoulders hunched. "Well... I don't know. Why?"

"That was when we were... Nine, right? That child's probably six or seven now."

"If they're alive."

That earned him an odd glance, though he might have missed it. "Pessimistic much? Anyway, that lady mentioned that she got whatever name it was from a book of Jiraiya-san's, I think. He just published a new one-"

Hisato huffed, which was response enough. It was somewhat understandable if he was put out by the mention of a book, though Tenzou expected it had more to do with the author.

The two of them had first met the legendary Sannin Jiraiya on a mission, when he had appeared before them suddenly and kidnapped their squad captain. It had been a little misunderstanding in the end, but... Hisato had been drenched in oil and toad spit somewhere along the way, and developed a certain bitterness about it.

"So... Should we buy Captain a copy?"

"Hmm? Ah, he would probably appreciate it. Maybe if I pay for it, he'll start transcribing it in braille."

"That reminds me, didn't Koori try to speak with his publisher about a braille printer?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Left unfinished because I realized the latter scene was mostly unnecessary, but I was glad to finally have a chance to describe Hisato.


	3. From Another Perspective

At the age of twelve, Aburame Muta was an adult. He had recently become a chuunin, with a clear specialization due to his unique kikaichu. The ability to disrupt sensory ninja was proving worth the effort he had placed into selectively breeding this species over the last three years. He had been personally praised by the Third Hokage for their creation.

As a border guard in a time of peace, Muta's most difficult task was typically directing tourists through the Land of Fire. It was not unpleasant work, however, and it kept him away from home for long stretches of time.

Muta's ambition was lacking. His parents would not allow him to forget that, and often compared his present self to the child that had flown through the Ninja Academy to graduate at the age of eight, as top of his class. Many things had changed since his school days.

His little brother had died. A tragedy no matter what angle you viewed it from, though one that raised suspicion. Seven year old Ryota had died of chakra exhaustion while training: He had been home alone, with no one to notice for three more days.

That his parents held him responsible, that he felt likewise about them, and that Muta could not seem to escape them while in Konoha. These were also tragedies. Though his parents voiced a desire to build him higher, they only held him in the past.

Even before Ryota, Muta had lost precious people. His classmates had gone missing, died, or gone mad, all beginning with the little blind boy that had once been Ryota's favorite.

As Muta woke for his shift one day, he thought on this. He had dreamt again of the tale of Jugemu, but some aspect had changed. A name had been replaced, but which?

A sentimental person he was not. However, he had once made note of the full name in hiragana, and had then memorized it. He quietly murmured it, as though a prayer, and searched for the discrepancy.

"Something wrong?"

"No."

Sincerity was not necessary. Muta tapped his head and acknowledged his own instability. Six years had passed, but a dead boy's story still rang in his ears. Something was not right about today.

Despite mounting anticipation, Muta's shift held nothing of note. He took on the next shift, as well. But it was not until much later, when he had already gone to bed, that he heard it.

"Paipopaipo Paipo and so on, it was hilarious!"

"Wow, and what was the performer's name?"

"Shogawa Kei, I think, and you can probably catch them on your shift, they're camping about an hour that way."

Muta surprised them, appearing over his teammates' shoulders. "What are you discussing?"

"Ah, Muta, sorry..."

"It's nothing. Please tell me about this performer." When the two merely stared at him, Muta dared to continue. "Was the tale he told, perchance about Jugemu Jugemu Gokounosurikire Kaijarisuigyo no Suigyomatsu Fuuraimatsu Kuunerutokoro Sumutokoro Yaburakouji no Burakouji Paipopaipo Paipo no Shuringan Shuringan no Gurindai Gurindai no Ponpokopi Ponpokona no Choukyuumei no Chousuke?"

"Ah!" Tokuma pointed at him, looking delighted. "You've seen it before? I hear the performer is pretty famous in the Land of Hot Water, but I didn't -"

"Wait, Muta? Where are you going?"

Kei. From another perspective it was a letter, like the K in Kagome. That had been Jugemu's actual name, Shimura Kagome. Could it be...

Single-mindedly filled with an irrational ambition, Muta abandoned his post, spreading insects ahead of him. There was another memory tugging at his brain, now. A white-haired boy - "You were friends with my brother, right?" - "Have you heard from him?" - "He isn't dead, and someday he will definitely reappear." - "Be there for him when I can't."

They were the words of a traitor, but. In his heart, Muta could not doubt the other boy's sincerity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written while I was working on chapter 24 of Of Cranes and Turtles, in an attempt to feel out Muta's character and the things he had gone through since his last appearance. It feels a bit... Shallow, though.
> 
> Aside from that, can anyone tell me what name is missing?


	4. Some of My Best Friends Are Murderers

September in Konoha was not usually so humid, and though the weather was bright and the forest flourishing, few people could be seen outside in the early afternoon.

Even the Third Hokage's office had fans blowing, finally creating a use for the monkey paperweights he had received as a gift years before. Eight fans were necessary to prevent Sarutobi Hiruzen from sweating through his multilayered outfit, and were almost enough to have the underdressed Anbu before him shivering.

His eyes scanned them - four of the six masks were similar to one another, with vaguely mammalian faces; the other two had beaks in very different shapes.

"Anbu teams Ro and Ha. Yugakure's head ninja has requested urgent aid in apprehending a rogue ninja: your target is confirmed to be Shogawa Ryuuma..."

A strange twitch came from one of the Anbu before him, and the Third paused for a moment, taking note of it. "Shogawa Ryuuma is said to be using a technique that increases his healing rate drastically. Yugakure nin were able to land several killing blows, but he has recovered from each one. The rest of his file is here. Crane, Dog, stay a moment."

The others nodded and disappeared through the open window.

"Hokage-sama."

"You know Shogawa Ryuuma from your time in Hot Water country," Sarutobi Hiruzen surmised, and the blind Anbu confirmed it.

"If he is using the technique I suspect, only a nutrient deficiency can kill him now. He primarily fought with weaponry or through others in the time I knew him, and had especially low ability with ninjutsu-"

"Do you have any idea why he's committed such an atrocity?" The Third Hokage cut in, and watched Crane hesitate.

"He... Has always encouraged his brother to serve Yugakure loyally, but his dedication to his village was outshone by his commitment to another group. They may be involved."

"What other group?" He asked sharply, a suspicion forming.

"A pseudo-religious group... I don't entirely understand their aims, but he seemed to believe that the human population must be kept at a lower level."

Hiruzen digested that. Such a belief might account for massive destruction, but it could not possibly excuse it. "If killing is impossible, focus on capture. If there are more like him out there, it may be necessary to examine him here. If he still has hostages, be sure to return them to Yugakure."

These orders were also a clear dismissal, but Crane still lingered a moment. "Sir... I think it is possible that he may surrender to us. In that case, would..?"

"He has killed hundreds of his own people." Came the sharp reminder. "I trust that your previous friendship will not interfere with your duty; give Dog all possible details so that he can properly prepare."

Crane nodded jerkily before fast-stepping away, leaving only Dog and Hiruzen.

"Kakashi..." He began, though words were unnecessary. The twenty year old Anbu captain knew by this point what to expect.

"Tenzou and I will keep an eye on him."

"Good."  
\-------------------------

Bear hung back at the end of the group, both for tactical reasons and to better keep an eye on an old friend. Crane's behavior recently had taken an odd turn, one that Bear suspected could get him killed.

Their formation while sprinting north was such; Bear at the back, Fox just ahead, Chicken beside him, with Crane, Dog, and Beaver bringing up the front. It took only six hours to reach the northern border, where they stopped briefly.

Bear caught Dog for a moment. "What do you think?"

"He'll be with you from here," the white-haired man murmured. It was essentially an admission of defeat; though they trusted Crane to share every detail that he considered relevant, they knew how complicated emotions could make matters.

With their new formation, they proceeded more cautiously. Dog had no scent to track by, leaving them to rely on the photographs and Crane's familiarity with the target's signature for identification. Yugakure had reported that Shogawa headed east from there nearly ten hours previously, an enormous lead.

Approaching Yugakure did not require much effort. Despite its name, the village was a tourist trap. "There's smoke ahead."

"Yugakure team oncoming, tense but not hostile."

"It's team Chi," Chicken visually confirmed.

The Konoha teams were quickly led to the last location Shogawa had been seen at to pick up his trail. "The hostages' files are here. Shogawa Hidan hasn't been seen in two days, and is also a genin - he may be an accomplice."

Dog gave a nod; Crane had already told him about the target's younger brother.

"He caused all of that damage himself?" Fox asked, though he sounded amused. One of the Yugakure ninja, a purple-haired kunoichi, bristled defensively.

"His attack was entirely unanticipated and carefully thought out," she said through gritted teeth. "We were able to stop him multiple times, but were unable to find a satisfactory way to contain him what with that... Healing technique or whatever."

Dog threw a glance at Fox, preventing him from goading anyone farther. Unfortunately, the blind Anbu beside him did not catch onto this signal.

"Unanticipated, huh?" Crane snorted. "Have you checked his home?"

"Do you think we have the resources for that right now? Can't you see the state our village is in?!"

"I've got the scent," one of Dog's smaller ninken announced, disrupting the tension. "Let's go."

"Let's not waste time," Bear agreed, taking Crane's arm.

"Is Hasuwara Castle burning?" He asked anyway. "What a distinctive odor. I always hated that castle."

"How dare-"

But, one of her teammates cut the kunoichi off. "You've been to Yugakure before," he coolly noted.

"The Shogawa brothers allowed me to stay with them a few years ago," Crane dared to mention, and Bear flashed some signs to Dog behind his back. "You're wrong; I need to be here," Crane corrected him, not bothering to turn his head around.

"You..!"

Dog prevented the Yugakure nin from advancing on him. "Maa, maa. Every minute we dawdle is another chance for him to escape. You can argue after the mission." Though his tone was light, Crane knew him well enough to pick up on his irritation.

His behavior was irrational, unreasonable. Fox was new to Anbu, and thus prone to chatting out of turn; but as a ninja with several years of silent service under his belt, Crane had no excuse.

\------------------------------

As Crane's mask lifted, the target seemed to lose his breath. Only moments before, Shogawa had looked the part of a crazed monster... And now, despite the blood of his fellows caking his clothing, Bear could only describe him as a lost puppy.

"You never got over me," Crane noted with a snort, wiping the foundation away from the mole along his jaw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I considered separating the scenes into different chapters, but it made more sense to leave them be... 
> 
> This may not be how anyone would hope to see Uma again, but it makes a lot of sense. Except that it's, you know, dramatic as heck.
> 
> For the fight scenes not featured, I intended to use the anime 'Ajin' for reference. Immortal battles look so dang cool that way, you know? And if Yuugakure has its way, Ryuuma will be tortured similarly to Nagai Kei.


	5. Despite These Scenes, I Would Still Argue That Blind Ninja Are More Sane Than The Rest

Uchiha Otohime could be described with many terms. She was a mother, a grandmother, a tokubetsu chunin, an investigator... And the master to a single student, Yakushi Koori.

"Please explain to me what happened here," she murmured, massaging her forehead.

"Well.." Koori began hesitantly, and Otohime took a moment to look her apprentice over. Her long blue hair looked frazzled, slightly singed; she wore only a bathrobe, unsinged, likely borrowed; the sandals she wore were Konoha standard, but mismatched, with the left blue and the right black. Her makeup was smeared heavily, and Otohime could smell the alcohol on her breath.

"Should I be asking Shimura-kun?"

"That's not necessary," Koori was quick to answer, having finally found her words. "This accident was entirely my fault. I'm afraid I became a little distracted and-"

"Hmm, sure. Where is he?"

Her face fell into a pout, and Otohime tisked. "You can't cover for him every time, you know. This is obviously his handiwork," she said, gesturing at the building.

The Chiba apartment block was located near the edge of what was unofficially known as the orphan's district... And it had certainly seen better days.

  
\--------------------------------------------

  
Hisato awoke to a sudden sound. He was sitting up, knife in hand - but there was no one in his room, just a familiar presence outside the apartment. Koori knocked again.

Unlike many of Konoha's citizens, Hisato considered western beds distasteful. He slept on a thin futon instead, which he often moved between the three rooms of his apartment to hopefully give off the impression that he was not resting at all to any sensory ninja that came by. He had even set it in the bathtub before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't remember where these scenes were going, so they may have been more of a character study. Though they were in the same document, I'm not sure the two scenes were connected.
> 
> It's looking like sixteen year old Hisato was a bit of a mess, though.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This feels spoilery, but the first chapter of the sequel will mention both Hisato's child and Sasuke, so... It really isn't.
> 
> I hope it doesn't annoy anyone terribly much that out of all of my options, I've picked Sasuke as the character Hisato focuses on when it comes to changing the fate of the world.

It was... Strange, to sit and discuss such a thing with his male former subordinate. Kakashi was also made vaguely uncomfortable by the fact that this situation called to mind the long-ago days when his jounin sensei had been planning for a child.

"Female names are pretty difficult, but I have a strong feeling that this is a son, anyway," Crane said, patting his stomach. "Perhaps this is a birthgiver's intuition?"

"Do you have a boy's name chosen, then?"

"Hmm..." His lips quirked up. "Well, Borutoseiichikaiyomuratekkami is my first thought, to bless my son with homosexuality."

"Ah... I don't think the records office will allow that." Kakashi found himself reluctantly amused. "And, part of it sounds like a surname..."

"Mm, you're right. Then, Jugemujugemugokounosurikirekaijarisuigyonosuigyoumatsuunraimatsufuuraimatsu-"

"Boruto-Seiichi-Kaiyomura-Tekkami is fine," Tenzou cut in, entering the hospital room. "Though, perhaps Borutoseiichitekkami would flow more smoothly." He threw Kakashi an entirely unnecessary look; the Anbu captain was not about to interfere.

"You do have a point, but I enjoy the way Kaiyomura Tekkami's name flows. To leave out half..."

****

Nineteen year old Shimura Hisato woke to a strange alarm. It was one that only reminded him yearly, so he supposed he could be forgiven for mistaking it initially... It had been a very long year.

He had no time to locate the sound, instead casting gimeii to dampen it. Then he was at the crib, frantically trying to shush the suddenly angered newborn.

"What's that?" His house's other resident grumbled through the doorway. Sasuke had been awake already, at least.

"I don't know, but hush." Hisato told him, before his voice changed over to that odd crooning tone. "Yoshi yoshi..." It took minimal effort to return the baby to its rest, fortunately.

"This looks like one of your seals," Sasuke noted, now crouched beside the bedpost. Without any invitation he had entered and began to examine the noise's origin.

"Shush..." Once the child was yet again properly encased in blankets, Hisato joined him . "Oh... It's already the tenth? I'd forgotten."

"A monthly reminder?" Hisato could just hear his eyebrow shooting up.

"No, Sasuke. It's yearly, I had meant to dismiss it sooner... There wont be a chance for that tradition today."

Contrary as ever, the boy grunted and left. Hisato had no particular reason to tell him, if Sasuke didn't want to ask.

It was the day that he had reserved for continuing his life's story retelling, however; a chance to review the last three hundred and sixty four days for emotional growth. Hisato dared not put this year's tale off for too long, lest he spend another two months catching up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was an unfinished snapshot of where I want Hisato's life to be at nineteen, but it's also a little domestic for my tastes. After more thought, I decided that Hisato's child is likewise AFAB. Not sure what the future holds, though.


	7. For Want of an Answer

The hospital room's tense air washed over the nurse before she had even crossed the doorway. Three people were seated around the patient's bed, two of them wearing Anbu masks; the third was Shimura Hisato, a medic nin that she had worked with in the past. This wasn't her first time in this room, and it wasn't the first time she'd seen so many people in it; but something felt different.

"I'm here to change the patient's line," she nervously explained. Shimura smiled and nodded to her, but all three of them remained silent. Unable to handle it, she asked, "Do you think she will wake up today?"

"Yes." He said, startling her. "Within the hour."

The nurse had asked him this same question many times before, and he'd never answered it positively. "W-well, please alert us if - when she does wake."

"Of course."

She nodded, uncertain of what else she could say, and set to work. When that was complete, Shimura thanked her and she left in a hurry.

Back in that room, with the door safely closed, the patient huffed and stretched out her legs. In the same minute, the illusion on the monitors broke and the seated Anbu disappeared.

"Thank you," her teacher said with a sigh. "It's much easier if they don't know, quite yet."

"I'm in... danger?" Izumi croaked out.

"Here, you should drink before you try to speak." Rather than a cup, he wet a rag and pressed it into her hands. Shakily, his student brought it to her mouth and drank. "And before that, let's test your muscle control a little..."

She played along with that for a few moments, before growing fatigued. "Was I even physically-" an unexpected cough interrupted her, but she endured. "... Injured?"

"Hmm, well... As for that... Do you understand where you are?"

"Smells like disinfectant... And I'm - hearing a heart monitor, right?"

"You are in the hospital." He confirmed. "Are you in any pain?"

"No..." Izumi said, though she didn't sound certain. Her hands reached for her face again, perhaps to rub the sleep out of her eyes. But under the eye mask, she found stitches instead. "W-what is this?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Shimura asked, his voice growing gentler. Though Izumi was silent for a long while, her breathing picked up. "You're safe now," he murmured. When she still did not respond, he added, "How about I tell you what I know, okay?"

"Please..."

Shimura nodded with a hum. "Six weeks ago, my water broke. You were with me at the time, and accompanied me to the hospital -"

"I remember that," she said firmly. "I remember you bleeding and - Uzume."

"Right... After they got her cleaned up and gave us a room, you headed home. You wanted to stay overnight, but the doctor wouldn't allow it."

"Mhmm."

"An hour passed... And I felt a seal release. One I had planted on you to reduce mental damage and speed your recovery rate, in case of an emergency. I alerted Tenzou and a few others, but... It was a few hours before I learned anything else. That's about when you and Sasuke were brought in to the hospital."

"Itachi's little brother?" Izumi blurted out. "Is he - okay? We were attacked?!"

"Well..." Shimura's lips contorted oddly, though she couldn't see it. It was difficult for him to get the words out, at first. "It appears... that the entire Uchiha clan was attacked that night. By the time Konoha teams arrived, there were only two people breathing. You and Sasuke. Many of the corpses were missing their eyes, though the autopsy reports suggest the theft occurred more than thirty minutes after death. Your case is... A little different. You were found just outside the Uchiha compound, and it appears your eyes were taken almost immediately after some technique was used to overwhelm-"

"Sasuke. Are his eyes..?"

"He sustained only minor injuries. His eyes are fully intact."

"... Itachi?"

Shimura shifted in his chair. "His body was not found. He's currently presumed missing."

Izumi swallowed. "My mother?"

"Uchiha Hazuki was cremated that next day, and I've been holding on to her ashes... Her eyes were not taken."

"Of course not. She didn't have the Sharingan."

"Mm."

"... Is there anything else? Do you know anything else?"

"This was the point where I hoped that you could tell me something. Do you remember anything? Did you make it into the compound?"

Izumi jerkily shook her head. "I don't... know. I don't remember anything. Not anything real. There was - a dream, but. No. What was that? What..." Her breath stuttered as she reached some conclusion. "Oh... Sasuke's unhurt, and... oh."

Shimura allowed a little silence before he said, "You've realized something."

"It's... I can't... I don't want to think about that. Where's Sasuke? Is he still in the hospital?"

"He's with Uzume, downstairs. Sasuke has been staying with me for the last few weeks."

"That's... good."

"Do you want me to bring them up tomorrow?"

..........................................................

"There's no point. I can't be a ninja anymore."

"Because sightless people are completely helpless-"

"That's not what I meant!" Izumi cried out. "You, Koori, and Keno - you're all different. You've improved your other senses. I've always... From the time I was five, even when it knocked me out to use it, I've always relied on my sharingan. I don't... I've never used my other senses," she confessed, bitterness and shame thick on her tongue.

"Hmm... Well! Maybe you can convince Mitomu to share an eye," Shimura spoke lightly. "I'm sure he doesn't want to be the only seeing member on our team. That would be so lonely."

"Huh..? That's not - you're misunderstanding me!"

"You're not explaining yourself very well," he observed. "Please, say it clearly. Why do you want to give up on being a ninja? Because it'll be difficult without sight? That doesn't seem like you."

It wasn't. Izumi took a moment to think, and she found herself mumbling, "That dream... The one I saw... It didn't seem like a dream. It was an entire lifetime. I got married, had kids, retired, got old, had grandkids... I watched the world succumb to peace, with - with all of my friends and family, and I died happily surrounded by the people I love. The last thing I saw were their faces. But they aren't even real, and the real people I've loved are dead." Her shoulders were shaking. "This is a stupid nightmare. Just like every other nightmare, I can't open my eyes, no matter how I try. Even with Sasuke... No, especially with Sasuke, I can't stop feeling angry. Not at him; everyone else. We've both lost everything, but why? Why did it come to this?"

She stopped, drawing in a deep breath and gripping Shimura's arm. A breath in, a breath out.

"Has Sasuke been talking about it?"

Izumi snorted. "Always. Always. He was trying to research the people who've hated the Uchiha clan a week ago, and I told the libraries not to give him any history texts. I didn't know what to tell him, though. Then he heard a rumor that Itachi could've done it, could've killed everyone and ran... He doesn't believe it at all, but it's made him more determined to find the 'real' suspect and clear Itachi's name. Sasuke's urging me to train too, you know. Reminding me that our attacker is likely to come back for us. I wish he would."

"You don't want to die," Shimura said.

"You don't know what I want!"

"I know what you won't want. You won't want to die and then find yourself in a new body, in a new world, forever wondering what happened to the world you left behind. That's already happened to you, right?" Shimura's sneer was audible, and the sudden change in tone caused her to freeze. "But it'll be even worse this time. This time it will be real, and this time those memories will never fade-"

"What are you even talking about?" Izumi hissed, though she had become uncertain of herself.

"I've died before," Shimura murmured. "In another world. You can choose to believe me or not, but... I really do know what I'm talking about."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't really intend to post anything here again, but I got carried away with this scene and wanted a way to share it. This is mostly canon to the What's In A Name universe, though details may change.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated M, not necessarily canon, I don't know why I wrote this but I will probably regret it. I rushed it because I wanted to write about Hisato and Ryuuma having sex, and then I rushed the sex scene. Skip this chapter if you're not really interested.

The Kari festival occurred every other year, alternating between fall and spring. I had not quite been aware of that when I had asked Uma to meet me there, but it was convenient. We met again the September after I turned seventeen, and I think that I was very fortunate to be able to take a trip without bringing my students along.

I had lied to the Third about my intentions in Hot Water, claiming that I was worried for my former mentor and wished to spend a week with her. He could not read her letters, but trusted me. I felt a little like a double agent, though I certainly wasn't, and kept a careful watch on the chakra signatures around me as I proceeded north. It was not necessary to avoid border patrol, but I did so anyway.

I took a different route through Hot Water, and passed through the same town that Uma and I had been in when we first attended the Kari festival. The town we had met in came a few hours later, and I felt some weight disappear from my shoulders when I sensed him up ahead.

I hadn't been sure that he would show. Uma could have been killed, captured, could have been fool enough to tell his brother about this. He also could have simply decided that I wasn't worth his time. That wasn't the case, though. I arrived at the alleyway where we first met to realize that he was camping in the building next door with a warm dinner on the stove. I slipped through the window and stood behind him.

"Is there enough for me?" I asked, startling him into spilling his soup.

"Wh- You-!"

"Hisato," I reminded him. "Good afternoon."

"Yeah!" He seemed relieved.

The little house was in fairly good condition, surprisingly. This part of the town had largely been abandoned a few years back. I suspected that he had arrived a week or two early, and allowed myself to smile about it. He served me a plate of curry - vegetarian, he promised - and we ate in relative silence.

There was a weird atmosphere. We had met here to discuss the possibility of marriage, the possibility of moving him to the Leaf. And yet here we were, eating first. He finished his plate before I finished mine, and took them to wash. I sat and waited, unwilling to begin the discussion. But when he finally spoke up and chose to say, "Nice weather today," I realized that I had no choice.

"I asked you to marry me in the Leaf," I reminded him. "I haven't secured a pardon yet, but my village would not be cruel to a man that turned himself in willingly."

"You haven't changed your mind?"

I chewed on that for a moment; he didn't quite seem surprised. Possibly just weary. I risked saying something stupidly honest. "No one has ever caught my attention like you do," I began, and this did surprise him. "Since I've allow myself to consider it, I've wanted you more and more."

"Oh," he said, once again. I gave an aggravated sigh that spurned him to speak further. "I mean, I still - I've always - you weren't letting yourself think it?"

"I was twelve. Who wants to try and settle down at twelve?"

"And... Now you're what, seventeen?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "If you're asking me to give up on you, say it clearly."

"It's not that! I just, have you really thought this through? You might-"

I huffed again. I had come for a simple yes or no answer, you know? But he had to make that difficult. "Do I seem like such a thoughtless person?"

"... You're actually one of the most thoughtful people I know," he admitted. "But, marriage... Would Konohagakure allow two men to marry in the first place?"

"I'm on file as female," much as I loathed to admit it, "and, tall as I am, my drag is still good enough to fool a marriage official."

He snickered, and I found myself relaxing at the sound. "Are there any problems from your end you'd like to bring up?" I asked him.

"Well... Yeah."

Uma wasn't in much of a hurry to tell me what, so I found myself examining the data available to me. "You've been trying to convince me to change my mind because you need to refuse," I guessed.

"I still want to marry you," he was quick to say. "But, Konoha..."

When in doubt, blame Hidan. "Is your brother still so young that you need to watch over him?"

"He's only fourteen." Uma reminded me.

"So how old will he need to be before you can leave him alone? Sixteen? Eighteen? Twenty?"

His response came so quickly that I was certain he had thought on it before. "You wouldn't wait that long for me, and that's fine. I get it."

It is a little idiotic, how emotions work. Both of us were acting like we'd been rejected by the other, and I realized that I was even feeling a little jealous. How utterly stupid. "Sit down," I ordered him, and he sat.

I took a minute to think, to debate between various responses with a multitude of differing goals, and I could practically hear him do the same. "You waited eight years between your proposal and mine; if I can't wait six years for you, then you deserve better," I wanted to say. "Hidan's far older now than you were when you became his caretaker," I wanted to argue. But, ultimately... I had been taking the lead in our relationship for far too long. I waited for him to speak first, trying not to plan arguments ahead. This was a conversation, I reminded myself, not an competition. If living in the Leaf was a deal breaker from both ends, then that was that.

"Four years," he mumbled at last. "If... If in four years you meet me here, I'll go with you then."

Though I had been anticipating that answer, it was still difficult. "Then, I suppose for now we're just friends," I said, attempting to sound brighter than I felt.

Uma snorted. "Is that your way of saying you're gonna cheat on me?" His words implied a joke, but there was a hint of pain to it. I hadn't realized that my statement could be interpreted that way.

"Is it possible to cheat on someone I've never slept with?" I mused, dodging the subject.

"Well, you know..." He stood up, and offered me a hand. "We could change that."

I made a humming noise, to bide for an extra couple seconds to think. My first instinct was to point out how quickly his intentions had changed, from validation to rejection to jealousy to propositioning. But... I had been thinking of him in that way for a while. Wanting him, whatever. Neither of us were entirely pleased with our resolution, but arguments regarding semantics are not conducive to an amorous mood. I took his hand. "There are friendships like that, I suppose."

He led me to a bedroom, where we sat on the bed, looking at each other. I realized that I still hadn't told him I was blind, that I might never tell him. It didn't seem very important.

Our lips met awkwardly. He was very eager to involve his tongue from the get-go. I wasn't in the mood to simply kiss after being half-rejected, and moved to sit on his lap. I found that his hands were also eager, as they reached under my sweater to explore the skin there. In response I slid my hand down his stomach and groped his dick through his sweatpants. He hissed and pushed against my hand, gripping my hips tightly. I squeezed it again, and then searched for the balls underneath, making a gesture as though weighing them. Uma seemed to enjoy this as well, rolling his hips up into me. With my other hand, I began pushing him down onto the bed.

"What-" he began to ask as I broke our kiss, but I didn't leave him time to wonder, sliding myself down his body to position my head between his legs. "Oh," he said, and began to lower his waistband.

"Going commando, huh?"

"I had my hopes up," he joked.

I shook my head at him and wrapped my hand around the shaft of his dick, moving my thumb around a little to get a feel for the head. Though it was only half hard when I began, it took very little stimulation to have the thing up and weeping. Uma had begun panting at some point, and his legs were tensed beneath me as though he were planking. It was almost enough to make me laugh. With some prompting, he wrapped them around my neck, opening himself up a little.

I left my hand at the base of his dick when I lowered my head, poised to push him back down if he got carried away.

"Have you done this before?"

I stopped just short of giving him head to throw him a look. Did he really want me talking right then? He apologized, I rolled my eyes, and we continued.

Stroking my flattened tongue against the underside of his dick caused his breath to hitch, but I had been hoping for a larger reaction. I put my lips around him and sunk down, using my tongue to coat the head of his dick with saliva, and he responded with a groan. I sucked it in a little deeper, tasting it, before coming off entirely. He hissed again, his sensitivity to the cold likely increased, and thrust himself against my lips.

Weak, I thought with a little smile. I hadn't actually given a blowjob before, but I was willing to experiment. Uma didn't seem disappointed yet.

I had heard that one's jaw could become sore while sucking someone off, and had decided to try out a few different concepts before I got down to business.

As I took him into my mouth again, it occurred to me that I could bite his dick off and reattach it. I could also strangle or behead him, if ever I was irritated with him, and there would not be permanent consequences. Unwillingly I found myself turned on by these violent possibilities... But I could discuss those with him, later. We had all week. For the moment I pulled back, gently scraping my teeth against the sensitive skin. He shuddered, losing his breath again.

Teeth and tongue and saliva soon grew boring, though. I began bobbing my head on his dick, vulgar as that sounds, and enjoyed the difficulty he seemed to have in holding back. I gradually took it in deeper, until I found my gag reflex activating; and kept at that. I don't think he lasted more than a couple minutes before setting a hand on my head and choking out a warning.

I attempted to swallow his cum, but choked myself a little. I don't think Uma noticed, though.

"Let me help you," he murmured, trying to roll onto me. I kept him at arm's length for a moment.

"You can use your fingers, if you're that desperate to return the favor. But I don't want to face you while you do."

"You don't wanna... Let me see?"

I didn't want to have a vagina at all, much less show it off. I hadn't want to say that aloud, but... "I'm a man. I have my pride."

"So you want me to jerk you off like any other man?" I nodded as solemnly as I could manage.

That's how we handled that; I was face down against the mattress, his face pressed between my shoulder blades, with the fly of my pants open and the line of my boxers just low enough for a couple of his fingers to reach my clitoris. He rubbed it, rolled it, and I found myself caught up in the motion, grinding against his fingers. It became unpleasantly dry before long, though, and he dipped his fingers lower. I turned my head toward him, out of habit, to yell at him; but his fingers quickly rose again, newly lubricated by vaginal fluids.

"You're really wet, and it's a shame to waste it," he murmured.

"F-fuck off,"

"Mm, can do."

More and more fingers were soon involved, several stroking the sensitive skin around my slit. I found it more difficult to be annoyed by this. He became more frantic, as though he was also gaining satisfaction, and lifted my shirt to leave a trail of hickeys down my back.

My climax came gradually, my muscles relaxing and contracting in turn. When the stimulation became too much, I told Uma so. He released me and rolled me over for a kiss while I basked in the warm feeling. He wasn't as content with the silence, though.

"You know... If you would just forget about Konoha, we could get married tomorrow."

I lost it. In the moment, that statement just seemed so out of place that it was absolutely hilarious. "Are you... Seriously attempting to take advantage of my post-orgasmic brain?" I gasped out.

"What?"

"Well, you know. After sex, the brain... Just kinda... drops its guard, gives up its ability to make good decisions. Releases oxytocin, and all of that. The love hormone," I added.

That had him laughing, too. "Nerd..."

We laughed together, just a little bit, before shuffling around to hold one another. After a few seconds, minutes, hours; I mumbled, "Hey."

"Hmm?"

"There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while now..."

"Oh?" He said, a hint of excitement rising. "Go ahead."

I leaned closer, resting my lips against his ears. "I've been blind since birth," I whispered to him.

"Me, too." He replied. It was only when I started laughing that he seemed to process my words. "Wait, what? Is that... A joke?"

I drifted off to sleep with a smile, allowing Uma to decide for himself.


	9. Chapter 9

 

[Pictured above: Yakushi Koori in three different outfits, displaying the character for ice on a skirt in two of them and showing the scar on her left inner leg in the third.]

Name: Yakushi Koori

Birthday: December 12

Gender: Female

Age: (Part I - 24-25) (Part II - 28)

Height: 163.5 cm

Weight: 49 kg

Blood Type: A

Rank: (Part I - Chunin)

 

Acad. Graduation Age: 14

 


End file.
